Method and System for Edge-of-Wafer Inspection and Review

ABSTRACT

An electron-optical system for inspecting or reviewing an edge portion of a sample includes an electron beam source configured to generate one or more electron beams, a sample stage configured to secure the sample and an electron-optical column including a set of electron-optical elements configured to direct at least a portion of the one or more electron beams onto an edge portion of the sample. The system also includes a sample position reference device disposed about the sample and a guard ring device disposed between the edge of the sample and the sample position reference device to compensate for one or more fringe fields. One or more characteristics of the guard ring device are adjustable. The system also includes a detector assembly configured to detect electrons emanating from the surface of the sample.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is related to and claims benefit of the earliestavailable effective filing date from the following applications. Thepresent application constitutes a continuation patent application ofU.S. Patent Application entitled METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EDGE-OF-WAFERINSPECTION AND REVIEW, naming Xinrong Jiang, Christopher Sears, HarshSinha, David Trease, David Kaz and Wei Ye as inventors, filed Aug. 8,2016, application Ser. No. 15/231,728, which is a regular(non-provisional) patent application of U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 62/203,276, filed Aug. 10, 2015, entitled REVIEW AND INSPECTIONAT EDGE OF WAFER IN AN ELECTRON OPTICAL APPARATUS, naming Xinrong Jiang,Christopher Sears, Harsh Sinha, David Trease, David Kaz and Wei Ye asinventors, which is incorporated herein by reference in the entirety.U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/231,728 and U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/203,276 are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to electron-optical inspectionand review, and, in particular, an electron-optical apparatus forinspecting and reviewing an edge-portion of a semiconductor wafer.

BACKGROUND

Fabricating semiconductor devices such as logic and memory devicestypically includes processing a substrate such as a semiconductor waferusing a large number of semiconductor fabrication processes to formvarious features and multiple levels of the semiconductor devices. Assemiconductor device size become smaller and smaller, it becomescritical to develop enhanced semiconductor wafer inspection and reviewdevices and procedures. Such inspection technologies include electronbeam based inspection or review systems, such as, edge-of-wafer electroninspection or defect review tools.

The edge region of a wafer, such as 300 mm wafer, may representapproximately 10% of the total area used for device formation. However,the yield in the edge region may decrease by around 50% for variousreasons. Interest in improved edge-of-wafer (EOW) inspection and reviewtechnologies to improve yield at the edge of wafers continues to grow.Due to the existence of fringe fields and the effects of such fringefields, the EOW region of a given wafer is difficult to inspect andreview. The existence of fringe fields may result in electron beamposition error, defocus, astigmatism and/or blur.

Currently, defect location accuracy (DLA) and image quality (IQ) startdegradation at approximately 5 mm from the wafer edge due to theexistence of a fringe dipole field and fringe quadrupole field at theEOW. The fringe fields deflect electron beams and impact beam focus andstigmatism, especially for low landing energy (LE) beams. At the EOW,beam position, focus and stigmatism deviate from their calibratedvalues, so that defect review images become unusable at distances suchas 1.9-5 mm towards the wafer edge. As such, it would be advantageous toprovide a system and method that provides improved electron imaging atthe edge regions of wafers so as to remedy the shortcomings identifiedabove.

SUMMARY

An apparatus for fringe field compensation is disclosed, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In oneillustrative embodiment, the apparatus includes a guard ring device forcompensating for one or more fringe fields in an electron-opticalsystem. In another illustrative embodiment, the guard ring device isdisposed between an edge portion of a sample and a sample positionreference device. In another illustrative embodiment, the apparatusincludes a controller. In another illustrative embodiment, thecontroller is configured to adjust one or more characteristics of theguard ring device so as to cause the guard ring device to compensate forthe one or more fringe fields in the electron-optical system.

An electron-optical system is disclosed, in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure. In one illustrative embodiment,the electron-optical system includes an electron beam source configuredto generate one or more electron beams. In another illustrativeembodiment, the electron-optical system includes a sample stageconfigured to secure a sample. In another illustrative embodiment, theelectron-optical system includes an electron-optical column including aset of electron-optical elements configured to direct at least a portionof the one or more electron beams onto an edge portion of the sample. Inanother illustrative embodiment, the electron-optical system includes asample position reference device disposed about the sample. In anotherillustrative embodiment, the electron-optical system includes a guardring device disposed between the edge of the sample and the sampleposition reference device to compensate for one or more fringe fields,wherein one or more characteristics of the guard ring device areadjustable. In another illustrative embodiment, the electron-opticalsystem includes a detector assembly configured to detect electronsemanating from the surface of the sample.

An electron-optical system is disclosed, in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure. In one illustrative embodiment,the electron-optical system includes an electron beam source configuredto generate one or more electron beams. In another illustrativeembodiment, the electron-optical system includes a sample stageconfigured to secure a sample. In another illustrative embodiment, theelectron-optical system includes an electron-optical column including aset of electron-optical elements configured to direct at least a portionof the one or more electron beams onto an edge portion of the sample. Inanother illustrative embodiment, the electron-optical system includes adetector assembly configured to detect electrons emanating from thesurface of the sample. In another illustrative embodiment, theelectron-optical system includes a controller. In another illustrativeembodiment, the controller is communicatively coupled to one or moreportions of at least one of the electron beam source or the set ofelectron-optical elements of the electron optical column or the stage.In another illustrative embodiment, the controller is configured to:receive one or more parameters representative of one or morecharacteristics of the one or more electron beams at an edge portion ofthe sample; generate a look-up table for compensating for one or morefringe fields within the electron-optical system; and adjust one or morecharacteristics of the electron-optical system based on the generatedlook-up table.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not necessarily restrictive of the invention as claimed. Theaccompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a partof the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the general description, serve to explain the principlesof the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The numerous advantages of the disclosure may be better understood bythose skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures inwhich:

FIG. 1A illustrates a cross-sectional view of fringe fields associatedwith an electron-optical system and sample, in accordance with one ormore embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B illustrates the fringe dipole field as a function of positionalong the optical axis for a number of distances from the edge of thewafer, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 1C-1D illustrate a simplified schematic view of anelectron-optical system for compensating for fringe fields at the edgeof a sample, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 1 E-1F illustrate top views of a guard ring device, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1G illustrates a simplified schematic view of an electron-opticalsystem for compensating for fringe fields at the edge of a sample usinga height-adjustable guard ring device, in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 1H-1I illustrate graphs of fringe dipole field as a function ofposition along the optical axis for a variety of use cases, inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1J illustrates a simplified schematic view of an electron-opticalsystem for compensating for fringe fields at the edge of a sample usinga voltage-adjustable guard ring device, in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 1K-1L illustrate graphs of beam position offset and astigmatism asa function of guard ring device voltage for a variety of use cases, inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A illustrates a simplified schematic view of a system forcompensating for fringe fields at the edge of a sample utilizing alook-up table, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2B illustrates a process flow diagram of a method of compensatingfor fringe fields at the edge of a sample utilizing a look-up table, inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2C illustrates a conceptual view of the coordinate system used whencompensating for fringe fields at the edge of a sample utilizing alook-up table, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2D illustrates a simplified schematic view of an electrostaticstigmator for applying correction voltages for correcting axialastigmatism caused by quadrupole fringe fields, in accordance with oneor more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a conceptual view of radial and angular offset tocorrect for inaccuracy and stigmation at the edge of the sample causedby fringe fields, in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 4A illustrates a graph of offset as a function of radial positionacquired from multiple tools and multiple wafers, in accordance with oneor more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B illustrates a graph of offset as a function of angular positionacquired from multiple tools and multiple wafers, in accordance with oneor more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4C illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method ofcorrecting position offsets in an electron beam caused by one or morefringe fields in an electron-optical system, in accordance with one ormore embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the subject matter disclosed,which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1A through 4C a system and method forcompensating for fringe fields in an electron-optical system isdescribed in accordance with the present disclosure. Embodiments of thepresent disclosure are directed to an electron-optical system capable ofcompensating for fringe fields (e.g., dipole fields, quadrupole fields,etc.) at the edge of a wafer during inspection and/or review. In someembodiments, the fringe fields are reduced and/or redistributedutilizing an adjustable guard ring device. The height and/or voltage ofthe guard ring device may be adjusted so as to reach an adequate levelof compensation of the fringe fields, allowing improved electron beamimaging at the edge of the wafer. In other embodiments, fringe fieldsare reduced and/or redistributed utilizing a look-up-table, allowing thesystem to adjust one or more components of the electron-optical systemin order to mitigate the effect of fringe fields at or near the edge ofthe wafer.

FIG. 1A illustrates a cross-sectional view of fringe fields associatedwith a portion 10 of an electron-optical system and sample, inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Inelectron-optical inspection and/or review systems, high resolution isachieved by employing an immersion-retarding objective lens 14, as shownin FIG. 1A. The sample 22 (e.g., wafer) may be placed very close to theobjective lens pole piece system, such that the sample 22 is highlyimmersed in the magnetic fields of the objective lens 14. It is notedthat an immersion objective lens 14 provides high resolution by reducingaxial spherical aberration and chromatic aberration. On the other hand,the energy of the electrons traveling in between the emission source andobjective lens is commonly set high (e.g., in 10-30 kV) in order toreduce the Coulomb interactions between electrons, which may degraderesolution. To protect the sample 22 from being damaged due tobombardment from high energy electrons, the landing energy (LE) ofelectrons to the sample 22 is set low (e.g., below 1 kV). Therefore, theelectrostatic field near the sample 22 is a highly retarding field.

In a highly-retarding electron landing system, as in FIG. 1A, thepotential difference between the ground electrode 12 and pole piece 14,or between the pole piece 14 and sample 22 may be large enough to meetthe requirement of a given extraction field at low energy. At the edgeof the sample (e.g., edge of the wafer), strong fringe fields are formeddue to the retarding and asymmetric features, as shown in FIG. 1A. Thefringe fields can be optically identified as a dipole field (E(z)), aquadrupole field (Q(z)), a hexapole field (H(z)) and an octupole field(O(z)), which are functions of the optical axis (z).

FIG. 1B illustrates the fringe dipole field as a function of positionalong the optical axis for a number of distances from the edge of thewafer, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure. As shown in FIG. 1B, the fringe dipole field, E(z), variesnot only with the optical axis (z), but also with the edge distance a.Graph 30 depicts the fringe dipole field strength at a number ofdistances (in the X-Y plane) from the edge of the sample 112. In thisexample, a₁<a₂< . . . <a_(n), illustrating that fringe field increasescloser to the edge of the sample. It is noted that the fringe quadrupolefield, Q(z), has the same distribution as the fringe dipole fielddisplays in FIG. 1B.

The fringe dipole field results in electron beam deflection blur andposition error, characterized by the deflection coma, field curvature,off-axis astigmatism, transfer chromatic aberration and distortion,which represent off-axis degradation of performance. The fringequadrupole field generates axial astigmatism, where axial astigmatism isnormally much larger than off-axis astigmatism. Further, the hexapoleand octupole fields generate blur as well, but are much less impactfulthan the dipole and quadrupole fields.

In the case of electron defect review (eDR), off-axis blur componentsand on-axis astigmatism caused by the dipole/quadrupole fields at theedge of the sample cause the image quality obtained by the system to beinsufficient for identifying defects. In addition, the off-axisdistortion results in beam positioning errors, which degrade the defectlocation accuracy of the system to the point that defects cannot bedetected.

FIGS. 1C-1D illustrate a simplified schematic view of anelectron-optical system for compensating for fringe fields at the edgeof a sample, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In one embodiment, the system 100 includes an electron beamsource 101 for generating one or more electron beams 103. In anotherembodiment, the system 100 includes a sample stage 110 for securing thesample 112. In another embodiment, the system 100 includes anelectron-optical column 109. In another embodiment, the system 100includes a detector assembly 114 for detecting electrons emanating fromthe sample 112.

In one embodiment, the electron-optical column 109 may include a set ofelectron-optical elements for directing at least a portion of the one ormore electron beams onto an edge portion of the sample 112. The set ofelectron-optical elements may include any electron-optical elementsknown in the art suitable for focusing, directing and/or conditioningthe primary electron beam 103. For purposes of simplicity, a singleelectron-optical column is depicted in FIG. 1A. It is noted herein thatthis configuration should not be interpreted as a limitation on thepresent disclosure. For example, the system 100 may include multipleelectron-optical columns. The set of electron-optical elements of theelectron-optical column 109 may direct at least a portion of the primaryelectron beam 103 onto a selected portion of the sample 112.

In one embodiment, the electron-optical column 109 includes one or moreelectron-optical lenses, such as, but not limited to, one or moremagnetic lenses or more electrostatic lenses. For example, the one ormore electron-optical lenses may include, but are not limited to, one ormore condenser lenses 105 for collecting electrons from the electronbeam source 101. By way of another example, the electron-optical lensesmay include, but are not limited to, one or more objective lenses 104for focusing the primary electron beam 103 onto a selected region of thesample 112. For instance, the one or more objective lenses 104 mayinclude an objective lens pole piece.

In one embodiment, the electron-optical column 109 includes a columnground device 102. For example, the column ground device 102 may includea ground electrode, which is at least partially surrounded by theobjective lens 104 pole piece. It is further noted that a largepotential difference may be established between the ground device 102and the objective lens pole piece (as well as between the pole piece andthe sample 112), as noted previously herein.

In another embodiment, the set of electron-optical elements of theelectron-optical column 109 includes one or more electron beam scanningelements 107. For example, the one or more electron beam scanningelements 107 may include, but are not limited to, one or moreelectromagnetic scanning coils or electrostatic deflectors suitable forcontrolling a position of the beam 103 relative to the surface of thesample 112. In this regard, the one or more scanning elements 107 may beutilized to scan the electron beam 103 across the sample 112 in aselected pattern.

The electron beam source 101 may include any electron source known inthe art. For example, the electron beam source 101 may include, but isnot limited to, one or more electron guns. For instance, the electronbeam source 101 may include a single electron gun for generating asingle electron beam 103. In another instance, the electron beam source101 may include multiple electron guns for generating multiple electronbeams 103.

The sample stage 110 may include any type of sample stage known in theart of inspection/review suitable for securing a sample. The sample 112may include any sample suitable for inspection/review with electron-beammicroscopy, such as, but not limited to, a substrate. The substrate mayinclude, but is not limited to, a wafer, such as a silicon wafer. Inanother embodiment, the sample stage 110 is an actuatable stage. Forexample, the sample stage 110 may include, but is not limited to, one ormore translational stages suitable for selectively translating thesample 112 along one or more linear directions (e.g., x-direction,y-direction and/or z-direction). By way of another example, the samplestage 110 may include, but is not limited to, one or more rotationalstages suitable for selectively rotating the sample 112 along arotational direction. By way of another example, the sample stage 110may include, but is not limited to, a rotational stage and atranslational stage suitable for selectively translating the samplealong a linear direction and/or rotating the sample 112 along arotational direction. It is noted herein that the system 100 may operatein any scanning mode known in the art. For example, the system 100 mayoperate in a swathing mode when scanning the primary electron beam 103across the surface of the sample 112. In this regard, the system 100 mayscan the primary electron beam 103 across the sample 112, while thesample is moving, with the direction of scanning being nominallyperpendicular to the direction of the sample motion. By way of anotherexample, the system 100 may operate in a step-and-scan mode whenscanning the primary electron beam 103 across the surface of the sample112. In this regard, the system 100 may scan the primary electron beam103 across the sample 112, which is nominally stationary when the beam103 is being scanned.

The detector assembly 114 may include any detector assembly or detectorknown in the art of electron-based inspection and/or review. Forexample, the detector assembly 114 may include any in-column orout-of-column detector assembly suitable for detecting secondaryelectrons and/or backscattered electrons from the sample 112. In oneembodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, secondary electrons may be collectedand imaged using an out-of-column Everhart-Thornley detector (or othertype of scintillator-based detector). In another embodiment, electronsmay be collected and imaged using an in-column micro-channel platedetector (not shown). In another embodiment, electrons may be collectedand imaged using a PIN or p-n junction detector, such as a diode or adiode array. In another embodiment, electrons may be collected andimaged using one or more avalanche photo diodes (APDs).

In another embodiment, the system 100 includes a sample positionreference device 108 disposed about the sample 112. For example, asshown in FIGS. 1C and 1D, a mirrored plate may be disposed outside ofthe edge portion of the sample 112, so as to provide a reference surfacefor measuring the location of the sample 112. For instance, thereference device 108 may include, but is not limited to, a mirrored ringplate 108 that surrounds the edge of the sample 112, whereby a distancebetween the edge of the sample 112 and the mirrored ring plate is givenby some sample-reference distance, d_(ref), as shown in FIG. 1D.

In another embodiment, the system 100 includes a guard ring device 106disposed between the edge of the sample 112 and the sample positionreference device 108 to compensate for one or more fringe fields. Inanother embodiment, one or more characteristics of the guard ring device106 are adjustable. For example, as discussed in greater detail furtherherein, the height (e.g., position along the optical axis) and/or thevoltage of the guard ring device 106 may be adjusted so as to compensatefor the effects of the one or more fringe fields (e.g., field linesshown in FIG. 1A). In this regard, the adjustment of the height and/orvoltage of the guard ring device 106 may act to re-distribute and reducethe one or more fringe fields. The reduction in the one or more fringefields acts to correct one or more effects otherwise caused by the oneor more fringe fields, such as, but not limited to, beam position offseterror, defocus and astigmatism.

In one embodiment, the guard ring device 106 is a conductive ringstructure that surrounds the edge of the sample 112. For example, theguard ring device 106 may include, but is not limited to, the steppedstructure shown in FIG. 1D. The scope of the present disclosure is notlimited to the structure depicted in FIG. 1D, which is provided merelyfor illustrative purposes. It is recognized herein that any guard devicemay be implemented in the context of system 100. For instance, the guardring device 106 may include no steps or may include three or more steps.Further, the guard ring device 106 may include a single ring structureor may include multiple ring structures combined to form a desired stepstructure. Further, the guard ring device 106 is not limited to the flatstepped structure shown in FIG. 1D. For instance, the guard ring device106 may include an edge of any geometrical shape, such as, but notlimited to, a rounded edge. Such a rounded surface may serve to optimizecompensation of the one or more fringe fields.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1E, the guard ring device 106includes a continuous ring structure that surrounds the sample 112. Inanother embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1F, the guard ring device 106includes a set of sub-structures 117 that together form a generallycircular structure that surrounds the sample 112. It is noted that theuse of multiple closely spaced sub-structures 117 may allow for theadjustment of the gap distance between the edge of the sample 112 andthe guard ring device, noted as d_(ring) in FIG. 1D. In anotherembodiment, although not shown, the guard ring device 106 may be formedso to have a grid or mesh structure.

It is noted that the guard ring device 106 may be formed from anyselected material. In the case where the guard ring device 106 isconductive, the guard ring device 106 may be formed from any conductivematerial or materials known in the art. For example, the guard ringdevice 106 may be formed from one or more metals or metal alloys. Forinstance, the guard ring device 106 may be formed from, but is notlimited to, gold, copper, silver, aluminum, stainless steel, brass andthe like. By way of another example, the guard ring device 106 may beformed from one or more non-metal materials coated in one or more metalsor metal alloys.

FIG. 1G illustrates a simplified schematic view of the electron-opticalsystem 100 equipped with a height-adjustable guard ring device 106 forcompensating for fringe fields at the edge of a sample, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG.1G, the guard ring device 106 compensates for fringe fields at the edgeof the sample 112 via the adjustment of the height of the guard ringdevice 106 along the optical axis of the system 100.

In one embodiment, the system 100 includes one or more actuator devices111 mechanically coupled to the guard ring device 106. Further, thesystem 100 may include a controller 113 communicatively coupled to theactuator device 111 and configured to direct the actuator device 111 tocontrol a position of the guard ring device 106. For example, thecontroller 113 may direct the actuator device 111 to adjust the positionof the guard ring device 106 along the optical axis. In this regard, thesystem 100 may control the height d_(z) of the guard ring device 106relative to the sample 112.

It is noted that positioning the guard ring device 106 within the regionbetween the sample 112 and the sample reference 108 of thehighly-retarding and asymmetric system 100 may significantly reduceand/or redistribute the one or more fringe fields at or near the edge ofthe sample 112. The reduction and/or redistribution of the one or morefringe fields acts to correct one or more effects otherwise caused bythe one or more fringe fields, such as, but not limited to, beamposition offset error, defocus and astigmatism.

It is noted that the deflection distance (D) of the electron beam 103caused by fringe fields may be compensated and the off-axis blurcomponents and distortion may be corrected. It is noted that the variousblur components and distortion have different dependencies on deflectiondistance. For example, the off-axis coma blur and transfer chromaticblur are related linearly to D, the field curvature and the astigmatismis related to D² and the distortion is related to D³.

FIGS. 1H-1I illustrate graphs of the fringe dipole field as a functionof position along the optical axis (i.e., z-axis) for a variety of usecases, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure. For example, graph 120 depicts the control case where noguard ring is present in the system 100. In this case, the dipole fieldstrength is at its maximum. The introduction of the guard ring device106 at a height d_(z) of d₁ represents an improved (but non-optimal)positioning of the guard ring device 106 relative to the case with noguard ring present. Further, an optimal height d_(opt) may be achieved.The optimal height is interpreted as the height that leads to theminimization of one or more fringe fields (e.g., fringe dipole field) ata selected location within the system (e.g., at a selected positionalong the z-axis). During fringe field compensation, one or more fringefields may be re-distributed and varied, negatively to positively, suchthat the deflection at the sample 112 is eliminated (or at leastreduced). The scenario where the dipole fringe field is varied fromnegative to positive is shown in the curve associated with the optimalheight d_(opt) in FIG. 1I. In addition, the axial astigmatism due to thefringe quadrupole field may greatly minimized (to the point ofnegligibility) because the amplitude of the quadrupole field Q(z) islargely reduced.

It is noted that the height d_(z) of the guard ring device 106 may beadjusted until the optimal height d_(opt) is achieved. In this regard,the controller 113 may adjust the height of the guard ring device 106until the one or more fringe fields are minimized or reduced below aselected tolerance level. Alternatively, the preferred height of theguard ring device 106 may be calculated or measured in advance ofoperation of system 100 and the guard ring device 106 may be placed atthis location prior to operation of the system 100.

FIG. 1J illustrates a simplified schematic view of the electron-opticalsystem 100 equipped with a voltage-adjustable guard ring device 106 forcompensating for fringe fields at the edge of a sample, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG.1J, the guard ring device 106 compensates for fringe fields at the edgeof the sample via the adjustment of the voltage of the guard ring device106.

In one embodiment, the system 100 includes voltage control circuitry 116electrically coupled to the guard ring device 106. Further, thecontroller 112 may be communicatively coupled to the voltage controlcircuitry 116 and configured to direct the voltage control circuitry 116to apply a selected voltage V_(ring) to the guard ring device 106. It isnoted that the application of V_(ring) to the guard ring device 106 mayserve to redistribute the fringe fields along the z-axis.

Given an operational scenario characterized by the beam energy, the beamlanding energy and the extraction field on the surface of the sample, itis noted that guard ring voltage V_(ring) may be adjusted so as toredistribute and/or reduce the fringe fields to a desired level. It isfurther noted that an optimal voltage may be achieved V_(ring-opt)whereby the impact of the fringe fields are minimized and the fringefields are varied from negative to positive in a manner similar to guardring device height adjustment described previously herein.

It is noted that the voltage V_(ring) on the guard ring device 106 maybe adjusted until the optimal voltage V_(ring-opt) is achieved. In thisregard, the controller 112 may adjust the voltage on the guard ringdevice 106 until the one or more fringe fields are minimized or reducedbelow a selected tolerance level. Alternatively, the preferred voltageof the guard ring device 106 may be calculated or measured in advance ofoperation of system 100 and the guard ring device 106 may be energizedto this voltage prior to operation of the system 100.

FIGS. 1K-1L illustrate graphs of beam position offset 140 and axialastigmatism 150 as a function of guard ring device voltage for a varietyof use cases, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 1K illustrates four use cases represented by curves142, 144, 146 and 148 in which beam position offset is measured as afunction of guard ring voltage V_(ring). In the case of beam positionoffset measurement, the optimal V_(ring) values for the use casescorrespond to voltages V1, V2, V3 and V4, respectively. In this regard,beam off-axis blur, beam axial astigmatism and beam position offset canall be minimized at the optimal guard-ring voltages. Note that theoptimal voltages V1, V2, V3 and V4 for correcting the beam positionoffsets are the same as those needed for correcting/minimizing the axialastigmatism in the four use cases, corresponding to curves 152, 154, 156and 158, as shown in FIG. 1L.

It is noted that while FIGS. 1G-1L have represented the adjustment ofguard ring device height and voltage separately for purposes of claritythis is not a limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. Rather,it is recognized herein that system 100 may act to redistribute thefringe fields (from negative to positive) and compensate for the fringefields by adjusting both the height of the guard ring device 106 and thevoltage on the guard ring device 106. In this regard, the system 100 maycompensate the fringe fields by first setting a height of the guard ringdevice 106 and then finding the optimal voltage for the given height.Alternatively, the system 100 may compensate the fringe fields by firstsetting a voltage of the guard ring device 106 and then finding theoptimal height for the given voltage. In this regard, the effects of theone or more fringe fields, such as, but not limited to, beam positionoffset, defocus and astigmatism may be corrected (or at least reduced).Further, the simultaneous adjustment of height and voltage aids inreducing the risk improper voltages and/or improper height the guardring device 106, allowing more flexibility to across the various usecases of the system 100, which may include large variations inparameters such as, but not limited to, beam energy, landing energy andextraction field. For instance, to reduce the necessary voltage toachieve the optimal voltage V_(ring-opt) and avoid risk of arcing, theguard ring device may be adjusted to a selected height at which theguard ring device voltage is applied with a narrowed potentialdifference between the neighboring electrodes.

FIG. 2A illustrates a simplified schematic view of the system 100 forcompensating for fringe fields at the edge of a sample utilizing alook-up table, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In one embodiment, the system 100 includes a controller 202for generating a look-up table for compensating for one or more fringefields within the electron-optical system 100. In this embodiment, thecontroller 202 may direct one or more portions of the electron-opticalsystem 100 to correct the optical effects resulting from one or morefringe fields using the look-up table generated by the controller 202.

For example, the look-up table may be implemented to correct forpositioning errors in the electron beam 103; defocus in the electronbeam; astigmatism in the electron beam; and/or fringe field effectsacross the entire wafer (polar angle varies from θ=0 to 360 degrees). Inone embodiment, the controller 202 is communicatively coupled to theelectron source 101, one or more portions of the electron-optical column109, the stage 110 and/or voltage control circuitry 206. For example,the controller 202 may be communicatively coupled to and configured tocontrol one or more focusing elements (e.g., lens) to correct defocus ofthe electron beam 103. By way of another example, the controller 202 maybe communicatively coupled to and configured to control voltage controlcircuitry 206 in electrical communication with the sample. For instance,the controller 202 may control the voltage control circuitry to adjustthe bias on the sample 112 to compensate for defocus in the electronbeam 103. By way of another example, the controller 202 may becommunicatively coupled to and configured to control a stigmator 204 ofthe electron-optical column 109 to compensate for axial astigmatism inthe electron beam 103. By way of another example, the controller 202 iscommunicatively coupled to the sample stage 110 and may carry out acoordinate or movement correction to compensate for position offsetcaused by one or more fringe fields. By way of another example, thecontroller 202 is communicatively coupled to and configured to controlthe electron source to compensate for position offset caused by the oneor more fringe fields.

FIG. 2B illustrates a method 210 of compensating for fringe fields atthe edge of a sample utilizing a look-up table, in accordance with oneor more embodiments of the present disclosure. In step 212, one or moreparameters representative of one or more characteristics of the one ormore electron beams at an edge portion of the sample are received. Instep 214, a look-up table for compensating for one or more fringe fieldswithin the electron-optical system is generated. In step 216, one ormore characteristics of the electron-optical system are adjusted basedon the generated look-up table.

For example, a user or another system may input information related to aselected use case associated with a particular inspection and/or reviewmeasurement process. Based on this information (e.g., geometry of sampleand electron-optical system, beam parameters and the like), thecontroller 202 may generate a look-up table for compensating one or morefringe fields within the electron-optical system 100. In turn, thecontroller 202 may adjust the one or more characteristics of theelectron-optical system 100 based on the generated look-up table.Details related to the generation of the look-up table and theadjustment of one or more portions of the electron-optical system aredescribed further herein.

It is recognized herein that the one or more fringe fields, such as thedipole field and/or the quadrupole field, behave exponentially and thatthe optical effects (e.g., electron beam position offset by dipole fielddeflection, defocus by the field curvature, and astigmatism by thequadrupole field) associated with these fields also behaveexponentially.

By way of example, the fringe dipole field, E(z,a) (see FIG. 1B) obeysan exponential law with respect to the edge of sample distance, a, asfollows

∫E(z, a)dz=P*exp(T*a)   (1)

where P and T are constants. The integration of E(z,a) over the z-axisrepresents the total deflection strength at the edge distance a.Similarly, the fringe quadrupole field, Q(z,a) obeys an exponentialrelationship as well:

∫Q(z, a)dz=P*exp(T*a)   (2)

where the integration of Q(z,a) over the z-axis represents the totalastigmatic strength at the edge distance a.

The fringe dipole field, E(z,a), generates one or more off-axis blurcomponents (e.g., coma, field curvature, astigmatism, transfer chromaticaberration) and distortion (e.g., beam positioning offset errors).Further, the fringe quadrupole field, Q(z,a), generates axialastigmatism. It has been observed that all of these fringe effects alsodisplay exponential behavior as follows:

[off-axis blurs, distortion, axial astigmatism]=P*exp(T*a)   (3)

It has been observed that of the fringe field effects that occur at theedge of the sample 112, distortion and field curvature caused by thedipole fringe field and axial astigmatism by the fringe quadrupole fieldare of most importance. In the case of electron beam defect review,distortion causes beam positioning errors and degrades the defectlocation accuracy, while field curvature and axial astigmatism degradeimage quality.

FIG. 2C illustrates a conceptual view 220 of the coordinate system usedwhen compensating for fringe fields at the edge of a sample utilizingthe look-up table, in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

The X-Y coordinate system represents an idealized reference frame, wherethe performance of electron-optical system 100 is not influenced by thefringe fields. The x-y coordinate system represents the real referenceframe, in which all electron-optical system is impacted by the one ormore fringe fields. For example, in the event the electron beam 103 isto be moved to the ideal position P(X,Y), it is actually moved to thereal position Q(x,y) due to the deflection by the fringe dipole field.As a result, there exist electron beam position offsets of (dx, dy) dueto the deflection distortion, the electron beam defocus distance of dzdue to the field curvature effect, and the astigmatism blur of d_(stig)due to the fringe quadrupole field. It is noted again that all of thesefringe field effects obey the exponential law:

└(dx,dy), dz,d _(stig) ┘=P*exp(−T*a)=P*exp[−T*(W−R)]  (4)

The coefficients (P,T) are a function of use conditions of theelectron-optical system include, but are not limited to, beam energy(BE), electron beam landing energy (LE) and extraction field (E×F) onthe surface of sample. This relationship is expressed as follows:

(P,T)=f(BE, LE, xF)   (5)

In one embodiment, the controller 202 generates (e.g., generates viacomputer simulation) the look-up table of (P,T) values and then thecontroller 202 corrects the fringe field effects of [(dx,dy),dz,d_(stig)] by directing an adjustment of one or more portions of theelectron-optical system 100, as described previously herein. Forexample, the controller 202 may include one or more processorsconfigured to execute a set of program instructions stored in memory.The set of program instructions may be programmed to execute a selectedsimulation to generate the look-up table of (P,T) values. Then, the setof program instructions causes the one or more processors to determinethe adjustments of the one or more portions of the electron-opticalsystem suitable for correcting the fringe field effects [(dx,dy),dz,d_(stig)]. These adjustments may then be automatically carried out bythe controller 202 or carried out by the controller 202 afterconfirmation from a user via a user interface.

In the case of beam position offset correction, ideal electron beamposition P(X, Y) coordinates without existence of fringe field influencein FIG. 2C are given by:

X=(W−a)cos(θ)   (6-1)

Y=(W−a)sin(θ)   (6-2)

In this embodiment, the real electron beam position Q(x,y) coordinateswith fringe field influence present in FIG. 2C are given by:

x=X+dx   (7-1)

v=Y+dy   (7-2)

where dx and dy are represented by:

dx=dx ₀ cos(θ)−dy₀ sin(θ)   (8-1)

dy=dx ₀ sin(θ)+dy ₀ cos(θ)   (8-2)

It is noted that (dx₀, dy₀) represent the real beam position at aselected constant polar angle θ, e.g. at θ=0 degrees. In addition, dx₀,dy₀ are exponential functions of the edge distance a:

(dx ₀ , dy ₀)=P*exp(−T*a)   (9)

It is further noted the coefficients P, T are provided in the look-uptable according to equation (5) above. The electron beam positionoffsets (dx,dy) in Eq.(8) may be corrected in a number of ways. Forexample, the electron beam offsets may be correct via motionmapping/correction of the stage 110, which carries the sample 112.

In the case of beam defocus correction, it is noted that the electronbeam defocus due to the field curvature by the fringe dipole field,dz(θ, a), is independent of polar angle θ, i.e. dz(θ,a)=dz(a) at anygiven polar angles.

Further, the defocus dz(a) obeys the exponential relationship in Eq.(4).It is noted that dz(a) may be corrected in a number of ways. Forexample, dz(a) may be corrected by adjusting one or more focusingelements in the electron-optical column 109 of the electron-opticalsystem 100. By way of another example, dz(a) may be corrected byadjusting the sample bias voltage via voltage control circuitry 206where:

dz(a)→dWB(a)=P*exp(−T*a)   (10)

Again, the coefficients of (P,T) may be stored in the look-up tablegenerated by controller 202 (and stored in memory).

In the case of axial astigmatism correction, it is noted that axialastigmatism caused by the fringe quadrupole field at the edge of thesample may be corrected via a stigmator. FIG. 2D illustrates asimplified schematic view of an electrostatic stigmator 230 for applyingcorrection voltages for correcting axial astigmatism caused byquadrupole fringe fields, in accordance with one or more embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

The stigmator 230 may take on a number of forms utilizing electrostaticand/or magnetic fields or by using multipole plates (coils) forconstruction. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2D, the stigmator 230includes eight plates on which astigmatism correction voltages stigV_(a)and stigV_(b) are applied. It is noted that the correction voltagesstigV_(a) and stigV_(b) may be a function of the polar angle, θ, and theedge of sample distance, a, as follows:

$\begin{matrix}{{{stigVa}\left( {a,\theta} \right)} = {{{Va}(a)}*{\cos \left( {{2\theta}\; + \frac{\pi}{4}} \right)}}} & \left( {11\text{-}1} \right) \\{{{stigVb}\left( {a,\theta} \right)} = {{{Vb}(a)}*{\sin \left( {{2\theta}\; + \frac{\pi}{4}} \right)}}} & \left( {11\text{-}2} \right)\end{matrix}$

where the voltages V_(a)(a) and V_(b)(a) are independent of the polarangle, so they can be defined at a preferred polar angle, for instance,at θ=0 degrees in FIG. 2C. It is further noted that the voltagesV_(a)(a) and V_(b)(a) have also been found to behave exponentially:

[Va(a), Vb(a)]=P*exp(−T*a)   (12)

where the coefficients (P, T) are provided in the generated look-uptable described above.

Referring again to FIG. 2A, system 100 may implement a predictivecalibration technique to correct for edge of sample coordinate accuracyand stigmation, in accordance with one or more additional embodiments ofthe present disclosure. In one embodiment, the controller 202 mayacquire experimental data and correlate the sample location information(e.g., radial and angular location) to coordinate error. In turn, thecontroller 202 may use this correlation to generate a look-up table forcoordinate correction.

FIG. 3 illustrates a conceptual view 300 of the association between theradial location and the angular location and the corresponding radialoffset and angular offset to correct for position inaccuracy andstigmation at the edge of the sample caused by fringe fields, inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. It isagain noted that fringe fields in the electron-optical system 100 maycause deviation/bending in the electron beam 103, resulting in poorcoordinate accuracy and/or image stigmation, especially at the edge ofthe sample 112. These effects, again, cause poor coordinate accuracy andimage quality at edge of wafer and affects the sensitivity of associatedelectron-optical tools.

FIG. 4A illustrates a graph 400 of radial offset as a function of radialposition acquired from multiple tools and multiple wafers, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4Billustrates a graph 410 of angular offset as a function of angularposition acquired from multiple tools and multiple wafers, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In oneembodiment, the controller 202 may use these and similar correlations togenerate a look-up table that will provide a correction factor to thecoordinate system of the electron-optical system 100.

FIG. 4C illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method 420 forcorrecting position offset error caused by one or more fringe fields ator near the edge of a sample in an electron-optical system, inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

In step 422, a set of measurement coordinate positions are measured. Forexample, a set of radial positions of the electron beam 103 across arange of radial position values are measured. By way of another example,a set of angular positions of the electron beam 103 across a range ofangular position values are measured.

In step 424, a set of position offset values are measured. For example,a set of radial position offset values are measured for an electron beam103. For instance, a radial position offset value is measure for eachradial position of the electron beam 103 measured in step 422. By way ofanother example, a set of angular position offset values are measuredfor the electron beam 103. For instance, an angular position offsetvalue is measure for each angular position of the electron beam 103measured in step 422.

In step 426, the coordinate positions and the offset vales arecorrelated. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, a relationship may bedetermined between the radial coordinate positions and the correspondingset of radial position offset values. By way of another example, asshown in FIG. 4B, a relationship may be determined between the angularcoordinate positions and the corresponding set of angular positionoffset values.

In step 428, a look-up table may be generated to provide a correctionfactor to the electron beam 103 position. For example, based on therelationship determined in step 426, a look-up table or relationship maybe established to provide a correction factor, which serves tocompensate for beam offset present in the position of the beam, which,as discussed above, is function of the position of the beam.

While the description above has focused on the implementation of thisembodiment in the context of position offset correction, it isrecognized that this approach may be extended to correct for imagestigmation.

The controller 113 and/or controller 202 may include one or moreprocessors (not shown) configured to execute program instructionssuitable for causing the one or more processors to execute one or moresteps described in the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the one ormore processors of the controllers 113 and/or 202 may be incommunication with a memory medium (e.g., non-transitory storage medium)containing the program instructions configured to cause the one or moreprocessors of the controller 113 and/or controller 202 to carry outvarious steps described through the present disclosure. It should berecognized that the various processing steps described throughout thepresent disclosure may be carried out by a single computing system or,alternatively, a multiple computing system. The controller 113 and/orcontroller 202 may include, but are not limited to, a personal computersystem, mainframe computer system, workstation, image computer, parallelprocessor, or any other device known in the art. In general, the term“computer system” may be broadly defined to encompass any device havingone or more processors or processing elements, which executeinstructions from a memory medium. Moreover, different subsystems of thesystem 100 may include a computer system or logic elements suitable forcarrying out at least a portion of the steps described above. Therefore,the above description should not be interpreted as a limitation on thepresent disclosure but merely an illustration.

All of the methods described herein may include storing results of oneor more steps of the method embodiments in a storage medium. The resultsmay include any of the results described herein and may be stored in anymanner known in the art. The storage medium may include any storagemedium described herein or any other suitable storage medium known inthe art. After the results have been stored, the results can be accessedin the storage medium and used by any of the method or systemembodiments described herein, formatted for display to a user, used byanother software module, method, or system, etc. Furthermore, theresults may be stored “permanently,” “semi-permanently,” temporarily, orfor some period of time. For example, the storage medium may be randomaccess memory (RAM), and the results may not necessarily persistindefinitely in the storage medium.

Those having skill in the art will recognize that the state of the arthas progressed to the point where there is little distinction leftbetween hardware and software implementations of aspects of systems; theuse of hardware or software is generally (but not always, in that incertain contexts the choice between hardware and software can becomesignificant) a design choice representing cost vs. efficiency tradeoffs.Those having skill in the art will appreciate that there are variousvehicles by which processes and/or systems and/or other technologiesdescribed herein can be effected (e.g., hardware, software, and/orfirmware), and that the preferred vehicle will vary with the context inwhich the processes and/or systems and/or other technologies aredeployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed andaccuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly hardwareand/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, if flexibility is paramount, theimplementer may opt for a mainly software implementation; or, yet againalternatively, the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware,software, and/or firmware. Hence, there are several possible vehicles bywhich the processes and/or devices and/or other technologies describedherein may be effected, none of which is inherently superior to theother in that any vehicle to be utilized is a choice dependent upon thecontext in which the vehicle will be deployed and the specific concerns(e.g., speed, flexibility, or predictability) of the implementer, any ofwhich may vary. Those skilled in the art will recognize that opticalaspects of implementations will typically employ optically-orientedhardware, software, and or firmware.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the artto describe devices and/or processes in the fashion set forth herein,and thereafter use engineering practices to integrate such describeddevices and/or processes into data processing systems. That is, at leasta portion of the devices and/or processes described herein can beintegrated into a data processing system via a reasonable amount ofexperimentation. Those having skill in the art will recognize that atypical data processing system generally includes one or more of asystem unit housing, a video display device, a memory such as volatileand non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors and digitalsignal processors, computational entities such as operating systems,drivers, graphical user interfaces, and applications programs, one ormore interaction devices, such as a touch pad or screen, and/or controlsystems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback forsensing position and/or velocity; control motors for moving and/oradjusting components and/or quantities). A typical data processingsystem may be implemented utilizing any suitable commercially availablecomponents, such as those typically found in datacomputing/communication and/or network computing/communication systems.

It is believed that the present disclosure and many of its attendantadvantages will be understood by the foregoing description, and it willbe apparent that various changes may be made in the form, constructionand arrangement of the components without departing from the disclosedsubject matter or without sacrificing all of its material advantages.The form described is merely explanatory, and it is the intention of thefollowing claims to encompass and include such changes.

What is claimed:
 1. A system comprising: an electron beam sourceconfigured to generate one or more electron beams; a sample stageconfigured to secure a sample; an electron-optical column including aset of electron-optical elements configured to direct at least a portionof the one or more electron beams onto an edge portion of the sample; adetector assembly configured to detect electrons emanating from thesample; and a controller, wherein the controller is communicativelycoupled to one or more portions of at least one of the electron beamsource, the set of electron-optical elements of the electron opticalcolumn or the stage, wherein the controller is configured to: receiveone or more parameters representative of one or more characteristics ofthe one or more electron beams at an edge portion of the sample;generate a look-up table for compensating for one or more fringe fieldswithin the electron-optical system; and adjust one or morecharacteristics of the electron-optical system based on the generatedlook-up table.
 2. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller iscommunicatively coupled to a stigmator of the electron optical column,wherein the controller is configured to control the stigmator tocompensate for axial astigmatism caused by the one or more fringefields.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller iscommunicatively coupled to one or more focusing elements of the electronoptical column, wherein the controller is configured to control the oneor more focusing elements to compensate for defocus in the one or moreelectron beams caused by the one or more fringe fields.
 4. The system ofclaim 2, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to voltagecontrol circuitry in electrical communication with the sample, whereinthe controller is configured to control the voltage control circuitry toadjust the bias on the sample to compensate for defocus in the one ormore electron beams caused by the one or more fringe fields.
 5. Thesystem of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control theelectron source to compensate for position offset caused by the one ormore fringe fields.
 6. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller isconfigured to control the stage to compensate for position offset causedby the one or more fringe fields.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein theelectron beam source comprises: one or more electron guns.
 8. The systemof claim 1, wherein the set of electron-optical elements comprises: oneor more objective lenses.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the set ofelectron-optical elements comprises: one or more condensing lenses. 10.The system of claim 1, wherein the set of electron-optical elementscomprises: one or more scanning elements.
 11. The system of claim 1,wherein the sample comprises: a wafer.
 12. The system of claim 1,wherein the detector assembly comprises: at least one of one or moresecondary electron detectors or one or more backscattered electrondetectors.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the electron-opticalsystem comprises at least one of an electron beam inspection system oran electron beam review system.
 14. A system comprising: anelectron-optical sub-system; and a controller, wherein the controller iscommunicatively coupled to one or more portions of at least one of theelectron-optical sub-system, wherein the controller is configured to:receive one or more parameters representative of one or morecharacteristics of one or more electron beams at an edge portion of asample; generate a look-up table for compensating for one or more fringefields within the electron-optical sub-system; and adjust one or morecharacteristics of the electron-optical sub-system based on thegenerated look-up table.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein theelectron-optical sub-system comprises: an electron beam sourceconfigured to generate one or more electron beams.
 16. The system ofclaim 14, wherein the electron-optical sub-system comprises: a samplestage configured to secure a sample.
 17. The system of claim 16, whereinthe electron-optical sub-system comprises: an electron-optical columnincluding a set of electron-optical elements configured to direct atleast a portion of the one or more electron beams onto an edge portionof the sample.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein the electron-opticalsub-system comprises: a detector assembly configured to detect electronsemanating from the sample.
 19. The system of claim 14, wherein theelectron-optical sub-system comprises: an electron beam inspectionsystem.
 20. The system of claim 14, wherein the electron-opticalsub-system comprises: an electron beam review system.